Hot outside, but Cool Couples inside at Marriage Retreat

A Synergy couple finds their personality color during the Personality session.

Madisonville,Tx–Two days of 100-degree heat didn’t stop over 40 couples from attending SFBV’S first ever marriage and relationship retreat in Madisonville on July 20th and 21st.

The day and a half retreat helped couples around the Brazos Valley and couples as far as Edinburg, Austin and Humble, Tx to reaffirm their love, improve intimacy, gain healthy (effective) communication skills and have fun in their relationship.

Virginia Redwine and Landon Johnson are two months away from their wedding and found the “Speaker/Listener” session most effective. ” I learned that content can be overshadowed by delivery. Your delivery has to be just as important if not more important than the content or information you are trying to relay. No matter how good the information is that you are trying to relay, if you can’t find a way to make it palatable to your partner, then it’s in vain.” said, Johnson.

The retreat is not a substitute for marriage therapy. It’s designed to provide couples with the tools they need in order to have a healthier relationship and assist couples with their emotion connection, and closeness.

Jon and Sandie Bennett have been married for more than 35 years and learned so much by attending the retreat. “The one of many things I can take away from the retreat is that it awakened me to reassess some things I already knew that maybe I hadn’t been applying very well or maybe I forgotten to apply and it’s time to rethink and reapply some things learned at the retreat to my life. We’ve been married a long time and we presume too much along the way and it’s time to rethink how we live each day and the “Personality” session caused me to rethink everything on what we do and why we do it. I think now it’s going to be a much better time for me and Sandie from here on.” said, Bennett.

Couples were treated to two catered meals and many walked away with great give-aways that were donated by businesses in Bryan-College Station and Madisonville.

Jubal and Evonne Garcia traveled 6 hours to attend the retreat and had never eaten cheesy chicken spaghetti! “This was our first time having this type of spaghetti and it was absolutely delightful. We are going to try to make this dish when we get home.” said, Garcia.

SFBV program serves five counties: Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison and Robertson. The next marriage and relationship retreat will be in Robertson County in November 2018. More details will be posted as soon as they become available at families.tamu.edu.

The retreat was fully funded by the United States Deparment of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant: #90FM0099. These services are available to all eligible persons, regardless of race, gender, age, disability or religion.

Funding for this project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Humans Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant #90FM0099. These services are available to all eligible persons, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or religion.